General Clan information
Within the Warriors world, the cats live in a highly structured society that is firmly divided into four groups known as Clans. The living Clan cats are born into either ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, or WindClan, while deceased cats who were believers in the religious structure and generally followed the Warrior Code join together as StarClan. SkyClan was the fifth Clan, but they were forced to leave when their territorry was destroyed (see below). BloodClan was a Clan "not worthy of the name Clan" and the only known members were Scourge, Boulder, and Barley's two brothers, Ice and Snake. The Clans RiverClan RiverClan is known for their skill at swimming. RiverClan cats are also known for their unique skill at scooping fish from the river. The very first leader was River. At the beginning of the series RiverClan is led by Crookedstar. RiverClan is currently led by Mistystar with Reedwhisker as deputy. ShadowClan ShadowClan, the source of many of the darker cats seen in the series, is sometimes referred to as the 'dark heart of the forest'. ShadowClan cats are known for their ability to walk quietly and avoid detection. They're also known for their willingness to eat frogs, toads, lizards, rats and crowfood, foods most Clan cats turn their noses up at. Their first leader was Shadow. It was led by Brokenstar at the start of the series, and currently led by Blackstar with an Rowanclaw as deputy. Two of the dark leaders of ShadowClan were Brokenstar and Tigerstar. ThunderClan ThunderClan is heavily featured in the books, being the Clan of origin for many of the protagonists of the series. ThunderClan cats are known for their skill at stalking prey through forest and undergrowth. The very first leader was Thunder. ThunderClan was led by Bluestar in the beginning of the series, and is currently led by Firestar with Brambleclaw as deputy. There have been many evil cats and lines from ThunderClan, but just as many good cats and lines come from ThunderClan as well. WindClan WindClan, who lived closest to the Moonstone, are cats well versed in Twoleg culture (due to the farm they lived so close to). Their very first leader was Wind. WindClan Cats are known for their swift paws, that lend ease to catching prey such as rabbits on the open moors of their territory. WindClan's leader in the beginning of the series was Tallstar, and is currently led by Onestar with Ashfoot as deputy. SkyClan SkyClan was the fifth Clan of the Forest, and they were introduced in Firestar's Quest. They had to leave the Forest a long time ago, when their territory was destroyed, and severed their ties with the other Clans. They were known for their ability to jump considerable heights. Their first leader was Sky. Their current leader is Leafstar. Clan Hierarchy Leader A Clan Leader is charged with the responsibility to watch over and manage an entire Clan, maintaining discipline, order and protection. They are granted nine lives and a new name with the ending "star" in a ceremony where nine StarClan cats come to them in a dream at the Moonstone/Moonpool. Deputy The deputy is the second-in-command to the leader, and may be considered an apprentice to the art of leading the Clan. They serve in the Leaders place in the situation that the leader is injured and unable to fulfill their duties. To become a deputy, a cat must have trained at least one apprentice. However, in the New Prophecy series, Brambleclaw became deputy of ThunderClan with the promise to train an apprentice (Berrynose). Upon the Leader's death, they become the leader and go to the Moonpool (formerly the Moonstone) so StarClan can grant them nine lives. Deputies may also retire and give up their place as deputy if they wish (for example, Tawnyspots). Medicine Cat The Medicine Cat serves the Clan as both their spiritual leader as the healer, making them akin to the idea of a 'Medicine Doctor' in a tribal society. In addition to their responsibilities to their Clan, they have responsibility to one another and StarClan. They carry out their responsibilities to StarClan once every half moon, meeting together to discuss matters privately and share dreams with StarClan. As a Healer, they gather herbs and dispense them as an apothecary would. They handle diagnosis and treatment of both illness and injury for all the cats in the Clan. In their role as spiritual leader, they teach the code, interpret omen and prophecy, and generally serve the Clan as a conduit between the earthly cats and their ghostly counterparts. As a medicine cat, a cat is not allowed to have a mate or kits. Medicine Cat Apprentice This is the cat that is being trained to follow in the paw-steps of the Medicine Cat. They learn healing and spiritual lore from the Medicine Cat. Medicine Cat Apprentices remain apprentices even when fully trained so long as the current Medicine Cat is still practicing the arts. Frequently, a Medicine Cat Apprentice who has full training will be given an adult name (paw replaced with another ending) even though they are technically still an apprentice. At the time the old Medicine Cat either dies or steps down, the Medicine Cat Apprentice becomes a full Medicine Cat, somewhat like the leader/deputy relationship. Senior Warrior The upper level of Warriors. Though not exactly an official tier of a Clans organization (so there is no ceremony or exact time that a cat becomes a senior), these warriors are the older, more experienced warriors in a Clan and handle most of the training of apprentices, leading patrols and handling other duties that require a cat of proved responsibility and maturity. They can often be close friends to the leader and sleep in or near the middle of the warriors den, so they keep warm even in the coldest of nights. (New warriors sleep near the edge) Warrior A cat trained in the arts of fighting and hunting. Warriors make up the bulk of a Clan, and provide that Clan with the protection and food supply that keeps it safe and well fed. Typically, a cat is made a warrior at or over the age of twelve moons. Queen A Queen is a she-cat with or expecting kits. Their primary task during this time is the raising of their kits. Some queens stay in the nursery after they have kits, such as Daisy, Goldenflower, and Ferncloud. They are thought to do this because they feel they can help the nursing queens. The queens most often help other queens when no milk is available, or the mother is ill/dead. Kits are protected on attacks and the nursery is often situated at the back of the camp, away from the entrance. Elder A retired warrior, deputy, or queen who is too old or not in suitable shape to continue with their duties. They are responsible for taking the body of a dead cat out to be buried. Apprentice An apprentice is a cat in training to become a Warrior. Their names end in the word 'paw' (eg: Tawnypaw, Bramblepaw, Firepaw). Most usually are at or over the age of six moons. They have a mentor appointed to them at their ceremony and most days are taken out battle training or hunting. They are given the annoying task of cleaning out bedding. Kit A kit is a cat who has not been made an apprentice yet. Their names always end in 'kit' (eg: Redkit, Snowkit, Bluekit). Most often, they are under the age of six moons. See Also For more details on the Clans, see... *Clan Terminology *The Warrior Code *Clan Life For more details on the individual territories and cats, see... *ThunderClan *ShadowClan *RiverClan *WindClan *SkyClan *BloodClan For more details on the religious beliefs of the Clan cats, see... *StarClan Category:Reference